March for Our Lives!
By Eliza Fogel
March for Our Lives was a student led demonstration to show support for tighten gun control and access to guns across America to prevent further destructive acts of violence, tearing up school districts, towns, and communities. After the shooting at Stoneman Douglas, Parkland students along with numerous other students joined together and rallied against our government and the NRA. These students have taken to social media, written letters to government officials, and have even delivered speeches on live television to share their views and concerns. Many young students like Emma Gonzalez, Yolanda Renee King, and David Hogg all spoke, giving speeches in different areas of the country. Gonzalez’s speech addressed the Parkland shooting before using silence for an impactful statement. Quotes from her speech, “Since the time that I came out here, it has been six minutes and 20 seconds,” she said after remaining silent. “The shooter has ceased shooting and will soon abandon his rifle, blend in with the students as they escape, and walk free for an hour before arrest. Fight for your lives before it’s someone else’s job.” Gonzalez’s powerful message speaks to the short amount of time it takes to commit mass murder and violence using assault weapons. Additionally, the 9 year old grandaughter of MLK, Yolanda Renee King spoke about having a dream to live in a gun free world, referring to her grandfather’s famous “I have a dream speech. These empowering speeches and large attendance across the country helped spread the word and reach the government. ”The March for Our Lives protests occurred across the country with especially large numbers in New York City, Parkland, Florida, and Washington D.C. These young protesters press for background checks and tighter age restrictions on all gun sales. Almost 2 million people marched, making this one of the largest protests in U.S history since the era of the Vietnam war. Even many celebrities got involved in the March for Our Lives, and donated tremendous amounts of money. The Clooney family, Oprah Winfrey, and Steven Spielberg have all donated $500,000 to show their support for gun control.
Links to the speeches:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/yolanda-renee-king-mlk-jr-granddaughter-speech-march-for-our-lives-2018-03-24/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxD3o-9H1lY
http://time.com/5214452/march-for-our-lives-best-speeches/
What can you do to help?
The main goals of the March for Our Lives movement is to
- Pass a law to ban the assault weapons used in mass shootings
- Stop sales of magazines restricting ammunition
- Close the loopholes in America’s background checks and create laws requiring background and age check
People of all ages can attend walkouts and marches supporting these views, fund gun violence and gun control programs, and simply register in the vote for our lives.
National School Walkout April 20, 2018
By Paige Miller
As a result of the recent shootings, gun control is an ongoing topic across the news today. As many people around the world know in December 2012, 20 students and staff were killed in a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Lane Murdock, a young girl who lives in Connecticut was just one out of many who were deeply touched by this horrific accident. Lane and other students have started the movement called #NationalSchoolWalkout. On March 14 many students protested congress’s actions in a national school walkout for the 17 lives that were lost at Stoneman Douglas High School. Lane and her fellow classmates organized another #NationalSchoolWalkout on April 20, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting. The walkout will start at 10:00 am until the end of the day. Students are encouraged to stay on their school’s campus for 17 minutes to remember the 17 lives that were lost in Florida, and then speak out about their own point of views. Lane Murdock’s motto for the #NationalSchoolWalkout, “We are students, we are victims, we are change,” has encouraged many young and old students to step forward and fight for what is right.
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april 2018 issue
